Dorothy Day: An Introduction to Her Life and Thought

by Terrence C. Wright

In this introduction to the life and thought of Dorothy Day, one of the most important lay Catholics of the twentieth century, Terrence Wright presents her radical response to God's mercy. After a period of darkness and sin, which included an abortion and a suicide attempt, Day had a profound awakening to God's unlimited love and mercy through the birth of her daughter. After her conversion, Day answered the calling to bring God's mercy to others. With Peter Maurin, she founded the Catholic Worker Movement in 1933. Dedicated to both the spiritual and the corporal works of mercy, they established Houses of Hospitality, Catholic Worker Farms, and the Catholic Worker newspaper. Drawing heavily from Day's own writings, this book reveals her love for Scripture, the sacraments, and the magisterial teaching of the Church. The author explores her philosophy and spirituality, including her devotion to Saints Francis, Benedict, and Thérèse. He also shows how her understanding of the Mystical Body of Christ led to some of her more controversial positions such as pacifism. Since her death in 1980, Day continues to serve as a model of Christian love and commitment. She recognized Christ in the less fortunate and understood that to be a servant of these least among us is to be a servant of God.

Genres: Biography, Catholic, Nonfiction

162 pages, Paperback

Published March 14, 2018

Reviews

[Tess Mckenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved learning about Dorthy’s life she’s a badass, the book was a lot more factual then inspiring however but overall very good.

[Carolyn Best · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up at a local Catholic store wanting to support a small business and to send a gift to a dear friend. I was familiar with Day, so I was excited to dive deeper into the life of a radical Catholic who "lived as though the truth were true." Unfortunately, my favorite parts were excerpts from her own written work and the remaining prose felt textbook-ish. I think it serves the basic functions of introduction/biography/theory, I just believe she is more of a compelling witness to faith and work than Wright exhibits. At the very least, I am excited to read more of her own words!

[Brace1737 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life and work of Dorothy Day is certainly worth reading about nearly forty years after her death. This is a short book for those seeking an introduction to her life and may want to read more detailed accounts at a later date.

Comment:

I enjoyed this book. Not only does it give the basic details of her life but also presents the ideas and concepts that drove her to serve the poor.

[Valerie Campbell Ackroyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a biography, it's excellent. I think Day would have enjoyed reading it. Really, my rating could have been 4 stars except that as a lapsed Catholic myself, some of Wright's apologies for the Catholic Church--and the implication that Day would say the same, DID say the same0--took away a little from my appreciation for the book.
Still I found the book stimulating to read.

[Wendi Enright · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tremendous woman - a prolife democrat, before the label might have existed. I'm not sure I agree with her aversion to large-scale systematic solutions, but she's right that "someone has to cut the vegetables."

[La'ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great introduction into the life of Dorothy Day! I knew next to nothing about her so it was very interesting to learn about her for the first time. Would definitely recommend to someone who wanted to learn about her.

[Karen Olevitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Saint for Our Day

[Virginia Aguirre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to Day’s life and beliefs. I especially liked the way certain concepts, such as distributism, are explained.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this, a brief introduction to Dorothy’s life and work, I must read more.

[Marielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good intro to Dorothy Day. Brief, informational, and touching.

[Conor · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction and overview of a radical Christian who I am convinced is a saint.

[Katherine Holler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple and profound dive into Dorothy’s theology and philosophy. Highly recommend.

[Elizabeth Rahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great quick read on the life of Dorthy Day. This book is unique in the fact that it is more about the theoretical and ethical driving forces behind her life than anything else, however, it sets a platform for what is already written by and about her. The section on the foundations of the Catholic Worker is especially thorough on what values she and Peter Maurin begin the Catholic Worker Movement on. Additionally, this book does highlight the deep respect and devotion Dorthy Day had for the the teachings of the Magisterium while living in the tension of disagreeing with Just War Theory's validity and the actions of some religious figures of the time. A great overall read and ideological interpretation of Dorthy Day for any Christian, especially lay Catholics to relate to. I really appreciated seeing the author at church. I also agreed with a lot of what he had to say about trying to stay away from buying too much through Amazon.com although he did note that he waxes and wanes on internet shopping.